2014 Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, Bordeaux
Description
56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc.
Just below Ch. Margaux and Ch. Palmer in the Margaux pecking order, this historic estate created a stylish wine in 2014. Darker fruits dominate, and the wine expresses a tension that suggests there is more to come in the future. Blackberries and a touch of cassis add real appeal. There is a generous core of velvety fruit, and the most appropriate descriptor for the entire tasting experience is ‘charming’. The nose has creamy notes, and it’s really open and expressive. The fruit is round, too, with an enticing spicy edge on the finish. It has good length and attractive, refreshing acidity that dances in the mouth.
Berry Bros. & Rudd
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Colour
Red -
Sweetness
Dry -
Vintage
2014 -
Alcohol
13.5% -
Body
Medium Bodied -
Producer
Château Rauzan-Ségla
Critics reviews
At first quite buzzy but the initial bright fruit settles very quickly revealing a mineral, chalkiness on the tongue and cheeks. Not powdery as such, but clearly mineral, graphite and liquorice and wet stones. Missing some more fruit density for sure on this. Tannins are nice, and this feels elegant, and it's certainly not hollow but it just loses the tang and flavour fades quite quickly.
Drink 2024 - 2040
Fantastic aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants and strawberries follow through to a full body, super-integrated tannins and an extremely long finish. The bright acidity gives the wine a linear edge, focusing on all the fruit. Minerally.
Drink in 2021
Hold +1 year or carafe for 2 hours.
An excellent 2014, a little austere right now, showcasing that understated Cabernet Sauvignon character of a young classified Left Bank. The cassis and blueberry fruits have plenty of depth, with sleek cocoa bean and liquorice stretching out through the palate. 60% new oak, 37hl/h yield, harvest September 22 to October 16. Last year with John Kolasa as director.
Drink 2024 - 2044
The 2014 Rauzan-Ségla is another classic Margaux that shines for its elegance and complexity, the hallmarks of this beautiful estate. Ample black and blue fruits, cedarwood, and spice notes all emerge from the glass, followed by medium to full body, a beautiful texture, polished, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It’s unquestionably enjoyable today, but it will benefit from a handful of years in the cellar and keep for 20-25 years.
Drink 2021 - 2046
Tasted blind
Dark and youthful colour. Intense, rich aroma of dark fruits and the first signs of leafy undergrowth. The tannins are still prominent, but there’s deep, dark fruit here. It’s not generous but sufficient for a refined, complete wine with good ageing potential.
Drink 2026 - 2034
This year's blend is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, harvested between September 22nd and October 16th, at an average yield of 37 hectoliters per hectare. It was aged for 18 months in French oak, 60% new. The alcohol is 13.5%, and the pH is 3.59.
The deep garnet-coloured 2014 Rauzan-Ségla reveals an open-knit, expressive nose of potpourri, unsmoked cigars, spice box and red loam with a core of plum preserves, blackcurrant jelly and bay leaves plus a touch of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied with compelling earthy layers and a real savoriness in the mouth, it has firm, chunky tannins and bold freshness, finishing on a lingering mineral note.
Drink 2019 - 2039
Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
The 2014 Rauzan-Segla has a fragrant nose with red berry fruit, cedar, mint and a dab of dark chocolate. Fairly backward at first, it opens nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins. It is a bit rustic in style, but there is satisfying depth and fruit concentration. Blackberry mixes with white pepper and bay leaf toward the finish. The château in question comes across as a bit assertive in style, but it pulls it off. It is not bad, though it's surpassed by almost every subsequent vintage.
Drink 2024 - 2036